Candidates differ on discharge bid

Otago Regional Council Dunstan candidate Graeme Bell (left) introduces fellow Dunstan candidates ...
Otago Regional Council Dunstan candidate Graeme Bell (left) introduces fellow Dunstan candidates (from left) Alexa Forbes, Phill Hunt, Richard Bowman, Gary Kelliher and Michael Laws at a "meet the candidates'' meeting in Alexandra yesterday. Photo: Pam Jones
The Queenstown Lakes District Council's application to discharge wastewater overflows into waterways again came under the spotlight at an Otago Regional Council Dunstan ward ''meet the candidates'' presentation in Alexandra yesterday.

The six candidates - Graeme Bell, Richard Bowman, Alexa Forbes, Phill Hunt, Gary Kelliher and Michael Laws - differ on the Queenstown council's application to the regional council for a 35-year permit to discharge wastewater overflows, including sewage, into waterways or on to land in circumstances where it may enter it.

Ms Forbes, chairwoman of the district council's infrastructure committee, said a consent with tight conditions was the best way to manage the Queenstown Lakes district's overflows. Burst pipes and overflows only happened because people put inappropriate things down drains, and the council was already investing millions in improving infrastructure and wanted to do more public education, she said.

Mr Laws, who has submitted against the application, said since reading all of the application he now understood it better. He was still against it, but ''the problem is what goes down the drains'', and the district council was ''not going to fix that in 35 or even 10 years''. Either way, he thought the application should have been heard by the Environment Court, as any decision on it was likely to be appealed.

Mr Kelliher is against the district council's application, calling it a ''total cop-out'' and criticising the council for allowing continued development before fixing its infrastructure.

Mr Bowman is part of the Friends of Lake Hayes group, which made a submission supporting the application as long as a consent had strict conditions. Having a monitored consent was better than continually fining the district council for illegal discharges, he said.

Mr Bell said he did not support a 35-year consent, but would support a 10-year one with conditions. However, as a sitting councillor he has been advised not to comment further, so as not to appear to be influencing the view of the commissioners who will hear the application.

Mr Hunt did not say if he was for or against the application, but said during his time with Federated Farmers the application caused significant debate, and was opposed by Federated Farmers.

However, ''every territorial authority has leaky pipes and spills and they're all pushed underground - no-one wants to admit it''.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included pest control and the new freshwater management national policy statement.

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